In The News

Syria Is Dying

Azeem Ibrahim August 29, 2013
A brutal civil war reigns in Syria, as demonstrated by scenes of a neighborhood waking to a chemical attack that killed hundreds. International critics allege that the regime, clinging to power, is responsible for the attack, even as the United Nations investigates. The country has become the center for a regional proxy war and a battleground for the two leading branches of Islam, explains Azeem...

How the Wealthy Keep Themselves on Top

Tim Harford August 20, 2013
Inequality is pronounced and widening, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, but also Australia and Canada. People tend to care more about inequality during times of economic crisis, suggests Tim Harford. “The uncomfortable truth is that market forces – that is, the result of freely agreed contracts – are probably behind much of the rise in inequality,” he writes for the...

Rise of the Renting, Sharing Economy Could Have Ripple Effects

Matthew Boesler August 16, 2013
The global debt crisis devastated job and wage prospects for many young adults in the world’s wealthiest nations. But many young adults have adapted and are content to live with less: They’re in no hurry to purchase homes or take on debt, instead renting modest apartments and sharing services like wireless; they prefer living close to work, avoiding cars and long commutes; when they travel, they...

Egypt Highlights Race Between Trade and Terror

Humphrey Hawksley August 15, 2013
The Arab Spring protests, with demands for representative government and economic stability, have disintegrated into violent power struggles. After one year, Egypt’s military removed the first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, from power and cracked down on protests by his supporters, leaving more than 500 dead. Violence unfolds in Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Iraq, too. Building...

People Will Pay if Army Fails Challenge of Political Islam

Amin Saikal August 15, 2013
Political Islam in Egypt – with the democratic election of Mohamed Morsi and one chaotic year in office – took an ideological approach to government, failing to compromise with other forces in society that led the revolution against Mubarak’s dictatorship. After deposing Morsi, the Egyptian military has cracked down on his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other supporters. Conservative...

Mob Rule

Christian Caryl July 26, 2013
Organized crime is linked to trade in illegal drugs, human trafficking, poaching, internet scams, tax evasion or counterfeit goods – and relies on greed to lure cooperation of some law-enforcement and political leaders. The World Economic Forum estimates illegal activities represent 8 percent of global trade. “Mobsters thrive on instability,” Christian Caryl writes for Foreign Policy, whether...

Why Egypt Matters

Sallama Shaker July 25, 2013
Democracy does not stop with elections, argues Sallama Shaker, a former Egyptian ambassador and former assistant minister of foreign affairs, who is now a visiting professor at Yale University. Transition of power in Egypt, with the military ousting the democratically elected president and promising elections soon, followed massive protests. Egyptians of all ages, placing their trust in the...